Another day, another thread about San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould and the drama surrounding an extension. We already discussed Gould, the player in Fooch’s 90-in-90 but there’s one deadline that begs needing brought up: July 15th.
That’s the deadline for NFL teams to work out extensions with franchise-tagged players. The 49ers placed the franchise tag on Gould when negotiations for a new contract weren’t progressing as they hoped. Gould has requested a trade and for now, fans can sit and watch.
Gould recently said the situation was complicated. It’d be a good assumption if he were to play, he’d arrive at training camp, or the tail end of it. Regardless of if he’ll sign the franchise tender (which he hasn’t), not signing an extension on July 15th would mean that he would be a free agent when 2020 begins. The 49ers could issue an additional franchise tag, but given all the headaches this has been producing, would they really attempt it?
Gould played for the Chicago Bears for 11 seasons. He was released going into 2016 and played a year with the New York Giants before getting picked up by the 49ers on a two-year deal to replace Phil Dawson. He had a career year in 2018, with a field goal percentage of 97.1. While he’s been in San Francisco, his family has remained in Chicago and it’s been reported he wants to be closer to his family. It’s been speculated that he wants to return to the team where it began—and ended abruptly—with the Bears.
It will be interesting to see what kind of agreement the 49ers work out to either extend him, or at least get him back in on the franchise tag for one more year.